A Walk Beneath the Moon
by Wolfsong031
Summary: The story follows the daughter of a preacher, who is trying to regain her faith in God after losing her mother to cancer and a young man fighting a battle all his own. What will happen if they fall in love? What if a secret threatens to tear them apart...
1. Death is Only the Beginning

**DISCLAIMER:**

**I Do Not Own A Walk to Remember or Vampire Diaries, LJ Smith and Nickolas Sparks do.**

* * *

**Lara Jade's Point of View:**

The heavy _gong_, _gong_, _gong_ sound of the church bells rang out from our little town of Beaufort, North Carolina as the funeral began. My father, the reverend of Beaufort Church, made the speech that usually opened these solemn occasions. As the reverend's daughter, I received my share of these occasions and more.

This time, it was a bit more personal. This time, it was my mother who was lying in the casket, looking peaceful for the first time in years.

It was my turn to view the body. My brain seemed too consumed by grief to even notice this, but thankfully, my body knew what to do. And so I approached the casket and looked down.

Mom. She lay there, eyes closed, face perfectly tranquil. Though she seemed at peace, there were several things wrong with this picture. First, she wasn't smiling. Mom always smiled, even during the worst of times. Even when the illness struck. Second, she was wearing black. My mother, for as far back as I could as I could remember shunned away any chance to wear that dark and depressing shade. She would always complain that it made her naturally ivory skin give the impression of being translucent. Well, that was the usual complaint before she grew ill and before her skin did eventually become translucent. The third thing wrong with the picture was…

A small hand gently squeezed my shoulder and I turned to see my only friend, Katie, behind me. That was her way of telling me that my time of viewing was up, that I'd best go sit down before I did something I'd later regret. I nodded, barely enough for even her to catch, before my legs carried me back to my seat.

Reverend Knighton gave me a sidelong glance before turning his attention back to the crowd. He, among the others, must have been wondering why I had taken such a long time at the casket. But he had other worries as of right now and would ponder my nonsense later when his brain could cope with such thoughts.

I tuned out the rest of his speech and when it came time to pray, I was the first to kneel. Words and sentences swirled through my mind as I made the attempt to make coherent sentences, even if God already knew my heart's greatest needs. I prayed to God that mom was safe in His hands. I prayed for the pain to end. I prayed for a light to show itself at the end of this infinite tunnel.

Somehow, the rest of the hour passed quickly and it came time to shake the hands of all old family friends who would tell me how sorry they were and how Mom had changed their lives'. I heard every story without really listening to them, without interpreting their feelings towards her.

The casket was taken back to the mortuary when the last person walked out the door, the burial postponed since the heavy rain made the cemetery grounds a treacherous mess. It was as if the skies were weeping all the tears I couldn't produce. My father rubbed my arm and met my gaze.

"Come on, kiddo," he murmured as calmly as he could, "let's go home."

Again, I nodded. I felt like a android, a machine with no feelings of its own, doing only what it is told.

Dad locked the double doors behind him and together we walked to the last car in the lot.

I don't know how, but my face stayed dry the entire time. Nightfall was a different story, however.

* * *

**Alexander's Point of View:**

I awoke at midnight next to a dead girl's body.

It wasn't the first time that had happened, but I so hoped that it would be the last. I wished that every time I had come out of the stupor of emotionless bloodlust, but the wishes of a forsaken vampire never came true.  
I didn't know this girl, didn't remember ever crossing her alive… her glossed-over eyes set in her slack face held no familiarity… held no memories.

Then again, that was always how it was.

I pushed the drained corpse away from me and wiped her blood - AB positive, I couldn't help but note - from my mouth. By looking at her, I could tell two things. From that I could put together a possible scenario of what happened. First, she was a runner. Her jogging shirt was torn, showing off a beautifully sculpted figure formed through years of hard work and obsession. Maybe it was her racing heartbeat that drew the me to her in the first place. Lastly, her dirty face managed to hold her final emotion: fear. She was aware of my presence… aware and afraid, which meant I hadn't used my compulsion on her. My eyes closed and I nearly gagged. The adrenaline that runs through the body somehow makes the blood taste so much better and fear spikes adrenaline. If I didn't use compulsion on the poor girl, it meant the monster inside me was enjoying every last drop.

I was so certain I had gained control of it… the thirst. Apparently, I didn't give enough credit to my monstrous half.

Maybe this whole idea about going back wasn't such a good idea then…

No.

If I knew one thing, it was that I wanted to return to my original home before… I didn't dare consider the thought because I didn't want to risk talking myself out of it.

The girl's grave was shallow, certainly not what she deserved, I was sure… but she probably didn't deserve having the life sucked out of her either.

With a remorseful sigh, I turned away and headed to my old home.

Beaufort, North Carolina.

* * *

**a/n: Because of my insane schedule, I may be able to produce only one chapter every other month. So, if I haven't posted in a while, don't worry, I haven't given up on the story, I just haven't had time…**

**a/n: Also, please review, flame, whatever. Don't be afraid to raise your voice! Special thanks to damonsalvatoregrl for the first review. =)**


	2. New Neighbors

**TWO WEEKS LATER**

**Lara Jade's Point of View:**

The bright North Carolinian sun was the first to wake me that morning. It caressed my face soft as a feather and when my heavy lids finally responded and lifted, the time was well into the nine o'clock hours. I hadn't noticed this until after I'd just sat there waiting for my still subconscious mind to catch up with my currently conscious body.

When I looked at my alarm clock, I had nearly sworn (and let me be the first to tell you, as a reverends daughter, not one syllable of profanity has ever slipped through my lips).

"No, no, no, no! I'm going to be late! Why didn't you wake me up?" I protested aloud to my alarm clock, my attitude a bit sharp since I hardly received a decent night's sleep in the past fourteen days.

It wasn't like I could place all my blame on an inanimate object though. It was simply my fault… I was so consumed in attempting to muffle last night's tears that when I'd finally fallen asleep, I had forgotten to set the darn thing.

"Great. It's the first day of school and I'm not there. That should make an excellent impression of me," added I, once dressed and ready to go. Today's ensemble: plain denim jeans, my favorite red t-shirt, and a pair of worn, scuffed converse. I swept my insanely thick, dirty blonde hair into a ponytail and, without taking one glance at my reflection, ran downstairs where I hoped my father was still. My wish was granted.

He sat at the round kitchen table, reading the paper and muttering to himself about all things going wrong in the world today. His peppered gray hair was about as disheveled as mine, so I knew at once that neither of us had gotten very much sleep last night.

"Daddy?" I asked, my voice hesitant and mousy.

"Lara Jade Knighton! What on earth are you still doing here?" he announced after finally glancing up from the paper, his ice blue orbs meeting my own. I opened my mouth to answer, but he cut me off before I could make a peep. "I should have thought to check on you, but I assumed you'd left for the bus already. You are two hours late, young lady." I dropped my gaze guiltily.

Believe me, I knew… I had to clear my throat before I could speak (my throat decided at that moment to constrict), and even then, it was still hard to project my voice. "I… um, forgot to set my clock. Is it possible for you to drive me? I know its late, but I'm ready now. Could you just drop me off on your way to the church? Please?"

My blue eyes lifted to his face, ready to read any expressions he threw at me. He examined me and exhaled noisily when he realized the true reason of my late morning. I was just as affected as he with mom's passing.

"Get your bag," Reverend Knighton finally replied after a long moment of silence, "We need to leave now if you want to make your next class."

"Thank you, dad."

"Just get finished, and have some toast or something before you even consider walking out that door. Both of us skipped dinner last night, if you recall."

I nodded and hurried to the fridge to pull out a slice of Sara Lee Whole Wheat. Quickly slamming it in the toaster, I left the kitchen and ran back upstairs to get my bag. I did sneak a peak at the mirror this time, but as always, didn't think much of my outward appearance. I never wore make-up. If God intended you to cover up certain features, for example freckles, He wouldn't have given them to you in the first place.

It only took me ten seconds to finish and I was out the door, bag in one hand and a slice of dry toast in the other. Dad was waiting in his ancient and thoroughly rusted Ford, the only vehicle we had left since we had to sell mom's car to pay some of the hospital bills. The door shrieked in protest as I closed it. I buckled in and as he backed out I noticed something new happening next door.

For a few years now, the mansion next door had been under foreclosure and vacant since the original family could not pay it's mortgage, but now the empty driveway had a colossal U-Haul sitting in it. And burly movers were hustling about, moving in items probably ten times more expensive than our own two-story, egg white vinyl-siding house.

"Hey, dad." I nodded towards the residence beside us when he made that 'hmm?' sound. "Looks like we have some new neighbors."

He glanced out the window at 'The Mansion' and nodded. "Looks like it. We'll have to go introduce ourselves later in the week when whoever it is gets settled in."


	3. The Girl Next Door

**Alexander's Point of View:**

Staring out the a small window located in the kitchen, I listened to the noisy movers scrape their way into my house with the heavy furniture.

Hmm… my house. I liked the sound of that. This mansion, originally built seventy-eight years ago, hadn't been a home then. Just a place to seduce young beautiful women to their death. Seventy years may seem like a lifetime… but there were days when I would believe those horrid events of the past were just yesterday.

If I closed my eyes, I could still hear their screams echo throughout these walls. As if summoning the ghosts of my pasts, a sharp keening outside woke me from my catatonic state. I pulled my hand away from the off-white wall and shoved the memories back where they belonged before they consumed me.

Beyond the borders of my own household, in the driveway of another home lay the remnants of some ghastly looking Ford truck that appeared too tarnished to even start. A man, around the age of forty-eight years (though he looked older with his peppered hair and tired eyes), sat in the driver's seat, waiting for the engine to heat. The belt under the hood shrieked, causing my ears to ring.

Just when he looked ready to pull out of the drive, a young girl about seventeen exited their front door and jumped into the cab. Though most of her dark blond hair was swept up into a ponytail, her long side-swept bangs kept me from getting a good look. It wasn't until she turned towards the house that I really identify her outer appearance.

The glass in my hand exploded into a million shards as my fist closed involuntarily. Amelie? No. No. It couldn't be. I watched her die at my father's hand. He killed her and then he killed me - the human me - when I tried to defend her.

Her lips moved as she sized up the U-haul sitting in our yard and I carefully tuned in.

"Looks like we have some new neighbors." This young girl's voice was pure innocence… and it even sounded like Amelie.

But… but…? It was not possible.

Her facial features might have resembled Amelie, but it could not have her. But I didn't pick up that distinguishing heartbeat that separated my kind from the humans. Was it the screeching truck that stole the sound of her beating heart… or was I just going mad? It was plausible, considering what I came here to do.

The truck pulled out of the driveway and drove out of my line of sight. I had to clamp myself to the counter just to keep from following them. Oh, how I wanted to follow her. Where were they going anyway? What was today? Friday? This girl should have been at school by now, but it was possible that she had woken late…

Suddenly, I found _myself _considering going to the high school.

Wow. High school. And institution all its own, but this girl… she was now a mystery I could not resist. Did I dare consider following that girl to her high school? I had a lot on my mind at my new abode and there was the chance that being surrounded by so many pumping hearts might send my restraint right over the edge. But my eyes were still clinging to the deserted road where the truck and I knew I already had my answer. I had to find out more about this girl who wore Amelie's face.

A loud crash sounded in the room next door and released me from my enchantment. I turned slowly away from the window, trying to get a hold of my wild emotions. Turning them off would end badly for everyone, but I had to reign them in. Especially considering the fact that I could hear a heart beating wildly in the silence after the clatter.

A robust man with a bushy black mustache entered shortly, his hands shaking, his eyes wide with fear.

'_Prey,' _the thought crossed my mind almost immediately before could take it back. His voice, though scared, reminded me that this man was sane. It was his sanity that saved his life right then.

"Forgive me, Mr. Fortesque, but a box, not properly labeled, just tipped and a bunch of kitchenware, plates and glasses mostly, shattered. I'm sorry," he apologized once more.

"I let you into my home to take care of my things - items that cost ten times your yearly salary - and this is how you repay me?" I growled, all the while trying to get rid of this abnormal passion inside me.

The man's lip quivered beneath his black mustache. "It wasn't my fault, Mr. Fortesque. Honest. Another man, he… sir? Is that blood?"

I'd forgotten about the shattered chalice and the squirrel blood that was now slopped on the floor.

"I cut my hand on some glass that skidded in here. You better hope I don't sue."

"No… please. I beg you, Mr. Fortesque! If my boss found out… There won't be anymore problems here, just please don't tell my supervisor."

I scoffed, the monster inside me too dominant to care, but cut through his thoughts and found out the real reason he didn't want to lose this job. After promising to clean up his act for the umpteenth time with no results, his wife finally put her foot down. If Robert here was fired one more job, his wife would leave him and take his baby girl with her. Robert's affection for his little girl helped tame my inner beast.

After exhaling loudly to remove any left over exasperation, did I speak. "As long as I don't have anymore accidents, your boss will not hear of this."

The man blubbered his thanks several times over as he exited the room and started barking orders at the others while I wiped up my own mess.

All the while, I started thinking about that girl again: who she was; why she wore the face of someone from my past; why I felt the need to uncover her mystery; and finally, why I couldn't keep my mind off her…

"Robert!" I barked.

I could hear a pair of feet shuffle in surprise before quickly approaching the kitchen once more.

"S-Sir?" he asked hesitantly, confused as to how I would know his first name.

"I'm going to go run some errands. If I find anything in this house missing, broken, et cetera, I will notify your supervisor and file a lawsuit. Do you understand?"

"C-Cr-Crystal, Mr. Fortesque," he stuttered, his fear spiking as I stared him down.

"Very good." I smiled tightly, though it probably just looked like a predator gnashing his teeth. "Carry on then. I shall be back shortly. If you finish before I am back, leave the bill on the door."

I turned away from Robert and made my way to the driveway before he could say anything more. All of my "school supplies" I would pick up on the way.

I almost laughed at the thought as the Porsche purred to life. I hadn't ever given thought about school or even life after Amelie turned me. But that was the reason I had to go… This girl appeared to be Amelie's doppelganger and I had to find out how.

So I left for the high school, in hopes of solving this puzzle within the hour without something going terribly wrong.


	4. The Equivalent of Purgatory

**Lara Jade's Point of View:**

I flicked a loose piece of blonde hair from my face as I tried to focus on the teacher's lesson. So far, my brain had absorbed nothing. Since I am in mostly all Advanced Programs, the two classes I actually attended had skipped all of those silly little introductions and had gotten straight to work. This class was Calculus, and I was now beginning to realize my mistake in enrolling in such a difficult and onerous class.

It wasn't even twenty minutes into the first chapter when my eyelids started to gradually shut. My head rested on my hand, so the temptation to fall asleep became greater.

The snap of a ruler on the top of my oak desk had no problem waking me though.

Mr. Hammer, a newer addition to the teaching administration here at East Carteret High, could strike fear into the hearts of every single student enrolled and, right now, it was he who held the other end of that ruler and glared down at me until I shrunk back from him, suddenly uncomfortable.

"Miss Knighton, could you possibly give an example of when we would need to "freeze the frame" to measure something?"

I scooted down into my chair further, abashed that he would use me as an example like this. He knew of my mother's passing; he may not have attended the funeral like the rest of the town, but he knew her and my father. So why put me through this now, in front of everyone else?

"No…sir. I cannot. I apologize, but I wasn't listening."

He nodded his approval at my answer but continued to harass me nevertheless.

"As I am well aware of, this handbook-" he held up the booklet containing the school's rules and regulations, "-has been read to you in each of your classes, and since it is already fourth period, you should have already finished it last hour. Therefore, you should know that sleeping in class results in an automatic detention." He turned back to me. "Am I correct?"

I wanted to say no, my classes had not read through the rules. They expected the students to read them on their own, just like he did. But I was too spineless to even consider contradicting him. "You are correct, sir," I replied weakly, avoiding all eye contact including from my classmates.

With the way he was tapping my desk with the ruler, it was apparent Mr. Hammer was deciding my fate. Detention to his first student on his first day back? Kudos for him… Not.

"The answer you are seeking," a voice, unrecognizable to me, spoke, "is the growth of a child over a period of time."

My blue orbs found a boy of 18 years seated in the desk diagonally of me, to the back left. His face was about as alien as his voice. He sat there, fairly sure of himself, or so I thought with the way he squared his shoulders, his raven black hair shadowing over his pale forehead and dark eyes.

"And just who might you be?" Mr. Hammer finally spoke up, probably shocked that someone had interrupted his torture session.

"Alexander Fortesque," he replied before tacking a snide "_sir_" to the end.

Mr. Hammer's attention shifted fully to this Alexander instead of me, and I honestly felt for this guy; he was obviously new (considering the fact that I'd never, in my 16 years of living here, seen him before) and probably didn't even realize that he just made an enemy out of Hammer. "How come you didn't respond when I asked for names not on the list, boy?"

Alexander glanced over at me and flashed me a tight smile before his gaze met the teacher's. That smile told me he knew exactly what he was getting himself into.

"I must not have been listening, Mr. Hammer_._ However, I have a schedule and it clearly states that I attend this class, so if you will continue with the lesson and not bother with impractical games, I, and my other peers, I'm sure, would be delighted." Alexander continued as he twirled his pencil on his fingers gracefully, impudence written all over his face.

I hate to use clichés, but I swear not a soul was breathing.

Mr. Hammer clicked his tongue in disapproval and muttered some indistinct sentence including the words "hoodlum" and "detention". The number of sentences those two words could create was anyone's guess.

"As for you," Mr. Hammer said while turning back to me, "Because of the fact that it is the first day and your mother recently passing, I will give you this one warning. You should be glad I am in such a giving mood, Miss Knighton, because I assure you it won't happen again. And let this be a warning to all students: Sleeping equals detention. Now, what was I saying earlier? Ah yes. An example that Mr. _Fortesque_-" he said the name with such disdain, it practically oozed out of his mouth "-provided is the growth of a child over a period of time. In order to find the slope of the secant line MQ, we must…"

And as he continued to blather on about the method, he turned away to write on the whiteboard. I bent over my book and started scribbling notes with my horrid handwriting, trying to catch up with the lesson.

The attention Mr. Hammer placed upon me did not go away quickly. Several eyes, some sorrowful, some insensitive, refused to move until minutes later. The compassionate turned away first, and eventually, the callous grew bored and returned their attention to either the new student or the text messages on their cell phones. Throughout the rest of class, I could only feel one pair of dark eyes burning a hole in my backside. Those eyes never left my immobile form. Eyes that seemed too mature and too perspicacious for an eighteen year old body.

Eyes that belonged to a Mr. Alexander Fortesque.

Throughout the rest of class I stayed focused and awake. I was determined not to embarrass myself further… however it wasn't easy though - all throughout class, I had to silently reprimand myself whenever my eyes strayed, sometimes meeting the eyes of the new student.

About the fifth time I'd caught myself, I blew out a breath in irritation and practically shoved my nose into the textbook. My eyes quickly found at the clock behind me, while desperately trying to avoid Alexander's orbs. Only ten more minutes.

This would be the longest ten minutes of my life.

Calculus was the class before lunch, and since Mr. Hammer was a complete... um, never mind... he forced us to wait until he finished the lesson before letting us leave. Six minutes into lunch and the lines were at least a mile long. By the time I got to the front, the cafeteria food being served was colder and harder.

After paying for the barely-edible substances they supplied us, I went in search for a seat, which proved impossible considering the fact that the cafeteria was severely undersized when compared to the student body. Every seat was filled except what many liked to call the "Clique" table - an exclusive table for the elite and popular. Even though it was against protocol, I set my tray down on the table. Hey, it was this or the floor next to the garbage bin, and I assumed it would go well… until the streams of gossip suddenly ceased, leaving a deafening silence to ring in my ears. Almost all of EC's fashionistas turned to me and scowled. I guess it didn't matter where you lived - small town or large city - public high schools everywhere had their social structure, and I was at the rock bottom.

Blushing, I quickly picked up my plate and scanned for a seat other than the floor when a voice called out my name.

"Lara! Over here!"

Down at the other end of the table, Katie was talking to some of the other cheerleaders (her posse since she was one of them), and was the only one who tolerated my insubstantial presence.

"Hey, I saved you a seat. Did you not get my text?"

I shook my head, still slightly abashed, and sat down in the empty chair between Katie and Veronica, the head of the squad.

"Oh, well, then you may not have gotten my other texts either. It was during the class right after Coach Verney's, you know the _only_ class we share this year. Anyway," Katie lowered her voice several decibels making it so only the few sitting near would hear, "Jennifer texted me and told me about this new - and totally - HOT guy, Alex. She said he was in your guys' math class and that he would not quit staring at you! And since you didn't answer your texts I couldn't find out the truth…" She pushed out her lower lip to make it look like she was pouting. "I was lonely without you."

A halfhearted smile tugged at the corner of my mouth and I bumped her with my shoulder. "Don't be stupid, Kate. He may be new, but he's probably already up to date with the gossip and just heard of my mom's passing. Maybe he was sympathetic."

Veronica finally spoke up, weary of all the attention placed on a nobody like myself. "His name is Alexander Fortesque, Katie, not Alex."

"You say this like you already know him, Veronica. I bet you don't know a thing about him," Katie retorted.

"Care to put some money down now, because you couldn't be more wrong, darlin'." Her nasally voice echoed down the entire length of the table and every estrogen filled body turned to listen to whatever scandal she had in possession. "His parents died when he was, like, really young, so he lives with some older brother at 1255 Alpine Drive in Windsor Square. Devastating, I know! I mean who lives in that god forsaken suburban joint." She snuck a quick peek at me, aware of the fact that I resided in that area, before continuing.

I only caught a smidge of what she said, but I got the gist of her whole story: Apparently, Alexander has lived in almost every state (and even a few other countries) because of his brother being affiliated with the military… or something. I didn't really catch that part. They had some ancestors reside here once upon a time. One-hundred and sixty or so years ago was the last time a Fortesque had lived in Beaufort, North Carolina. They were rich, but I had acknowledged this fact when I took notice of the sport car, the Plasma TV's, and the hundreds of thousands of boxes, furniture, and artwork next door. However, they didn't just acquire the title of "Multi-millionaire." According to Veronica, at least. She wasn't exactly the most reliable source.

"And his favorite color is black."

"Obviously," another piped in, "I mean, don't get me wrong, but who does he think he is? Zorro? He just looks Goth to me."

Others soon joined until a tide of commentary drowned out any form of silence that once beheld this table.

"He doesn't have the mask. Zorro always wore a mask… didn't he?"

"Zorro was from Spain. Have you seen him? He's cute and all but so fricken white! Obviously, the farthest thing from Antonio Banderas' portrayal of Zorro."

"Mmm, if he were Zorro I'd be his Elena Montero any day."

Finding the shallowness of these girls' minds somewhat entertaining, I worried at my bottom lip to keep myself from smiling. Katie, too, had a difficult time of keeping a straight face, but we managed to keep from laughing out loud.

Despite all our efforts of trying to keep quiet, they were eventually announced by Veronica.

"And just what do you think your laughing at?"

Silence. Only then did my friend give her opinion.

"Well, to be frank, you guys are acting like a bunch of squabbling, spoiled brats. I mean you barely know the guy and you're already trying to see yourself with him simply because he's new and mysterious."

Suddenly, my tray became a most fascinating subject as Katie finished speaking. She could afford to be blunt. I couldn't.

I stirred my spork in the gravy that covered my - well, I couldn't tell exactly what it was, but it appeared to be meatloaf…

"We are not!" a few of the girls, including Veronica, defended in unison.

"Then tell me something, V, why are you stalking this poor fellow and draining info out of all the secretaries… and when exactly did you have the time to find all this out?"

"Oh, between 3rd and 4th period. And I only did so to satisfy the curious minds of the student body. It's my job."

"Right, forget your studies on the first day back. You just care about getting dirt on people."

"But of course. That is what high school is all about."

Katie opened her mouth to say something but decided against it when the bell rang and the door to the teacher's lounge swung open, revealing all the instructors as they spilled out and headed in the general direction of their rooms.

"Whatever, you go about your little dream world and don't mind my big mouth, girls. However, I'll be the last one laughing when your dream world - or at least the one involving him - comes crashing down."

Not wanting to be late, I left after Katie to fend for herself (which, its not like I was aiding her in any form) and threw away my tray of S.S Nausea before heading over to my next class.

Ugh.

Gym.

I think a piece of me died inside after I triple checked my schedule. Don't get me wrong, I love to run and do yoga, but lifting weights and playing dodge ball were not my thing. In fact, I down right hated Physical Education. It's a shame it was mandatory for three of four years of high school.

As I left the cafeteria and its vociferous crowds, I detected a black pole leaning against the white washed walls of our - well, my - prison and became conscious of the fact that Alexander had been standing there, around the corner of the cheerleader table probably taking note of every word each of those cheerleaders said.

I tried to pull my eyes away from his statue-like form but found that I could not. His gaze trapped mine and a lazy smile twisted the corners of his pale lips.

"Hey," he purred softly.


	5. On My Own

**Lara Jade's Point of View:**

After a long, grueling day, school finally ended, but I couldn't bring myself to be thrilled, because Monday would be coming soon enough…

East Carteret High School arranged its schedule where Friday is the first day, to get introductions and rules out of the way before starting a new week with new expectations. The bus ride home was quiet after I boarded. No one sat with me and, even though I tried my best to ignore them, could still see them staring in my peripheral. Even Karen, the bus driver, couldn't help but glance in the rearview mirror a few times.

I rested my head on the cool glass, my eyes following the landscape as we passed by, and plugged in my Ipod, listening to Chris Tomlin's version of "Holy is the Lord". It was Mom's favorite…

Mine was the final bus stop, so it wasn't long before I found my mind wandering onto other topics. Only a select few of my thoughts centered on schoolwork; The majority, I soon became conscious of, seemed to revolve around the new and rather notorious Alexander Fortesque.

"_Hey," he said, his voice soft and reassuring, as if he didn't want to scare me._

"_Um… hi?" I meant that as a statement but it came out as more of a question, unused to someone randomly coming up to speak to me. "You didn't… you weren't standing here the whole time, right?"_

"_Oh, no, I, uh… No." He smiled, a tight smile that barley showed any of his perfectly straight, white teeth. An attempt to cover the fact displayed right in front of us, no doubt. He had been standing there, but was too ashamed to admit it. He didn't strike me as one interested in gossip, so why would he stand in a corner outside the cafeteria where all the best rumors were told?_

"_Okay then." I turned and began walking away when his hand started to reach for my arm. He stopped himself short of making skin to skin contact. My pastel blue eyes met his dark orbs __- a color that was not a deep brown, as I had originally assumed, but black like obsidian- and a shiver crawled up my spine as if fingers of ice touched my soul. I wanted to look away, but found that I could not. His gaze was magnetic and its pull was too strong for me to fight… which was weird. We stood like that for what seemed like minutes, though it could have only been seconds because I could still hear Katie talking to the others, just staring into each others eyes. When he finally looked away, it felt as if a piece of me just broke away. I longed to look into his eyes again for some inexplicable reason. Trying to shake off the odd sensation, I tried to make a joke of it._

"_Well, that was… peculiar." Hey, I never said anything about my profession being related to comedy. In fact, I was kind of leaning towards psychology._

"_A bit, yeah," he replied, his voice laced with a light accent unknown to me. Heck, if the rumors were true, then it could be a mix of ten different accents all rolled into one. He rubbed the back of his neck and kept his gaze down at the floor while mine continues to search his face._

_I begin to wonder why he stopped me in the first place when he speaks up once more, his eyes on me once more but avoiding my own eyes at all costs. He settled for the small freckle on the side of my nose, something not many people noticed at all._

"_I just moved here, so I've been having a little trouble finding all my classes on time. Would you mind showing me the way to my next class?"_

"_Oh." Now it was my turn to stammer and look like a fool. "I, uh… I don't think that's such a good idea. I mean, the teachers will excuse you cause you've only just moved here, but you see, my next teacher… she's kind of renowned for her 'detention for tardiness rule'. I would, but…" I stopped before sounding too mean and gnawed at my bottom lip, something that was a bit of a nervous habit of mine._

"_Oh." His face held a neutral expression, but I could almost sense how displeased he was. Alexander forced a tight smile, as if making the attempt to convince me otherwise. "Quite alright, then. I wouldn't want to get you in trouble with your teachers. But if you could point me in the right direction? It's room 146 with Ms. Quintana and I have no idea where it might be."_

"_Oh, yeah, sure. It's actually just around the corner. You'll follow that hallway-" I pointed to the branch of hallway that lead away from the main corridor "- and it will curve a bit before breaking off into this wishbone shape, I guess you could call it. Anyway, take the right side and the door should be the first one."_

"_Brilliant. Thank you for your assistance." Alexander reached for my hand and paused right before touching it, as if he were afraid I was diseased or something. Go figure. Even the new kid could identify a social leper when he saw one._

_As I thought this, Alexander took hold of it - and shock rolled through me because his hand felt like an icebox - and gently lifted it up to his lips, placing a small kiss on the back of my hand before moving onward, towards the southern hall, when he turned to face me again. "And good luck with Coach Randolph."_

_I froze. "How…?" I didn't even know how to complete that question. Even so, he was quickly retreating to his next class, leaving me slightly befuddled._

"Lara, hon?" a gravely, smoker's voice sounded, snapping me out of my recollection. Karen stood over me, her face pulled together in concern, and I realized we were stopped at my house. God only knows how many times she called my name before actually unbuckling to see what the problem was.

Nodding, I grabbed my backpack, slung it over my shoulder and trotted towards the bus steps, staring at the floor as I did so. Only Karen's troubled tone stopped me. She only said my name, but I could see in her eyes how she wanted to comfort me in my time of grief.

"Thank you, Karen," I mumbled, letting her know I understood her silent condolence, "God be with you."

Before heading inside, I peeked over at the manor. A black Porche replaced the hideous U-Haul from this morning and gleamed in the sunlight. The expensive car alone made our house look like something out of a scrap yard. Pathetic how some people needed worldly goods to make them content in life. But who was I to say so? Nothing, but a lowly preacher's daughter in the minds of the majority.

Something flickered to my right. I looked to a small rectangular window to see the white lace fall back into place.

The noisy diesel bus pulled away as I quietly shut the front door.

"Hello?" I called, my voice echoing down the empty halls.

It was so quiet, so abnormally quiet. The passing of the first week did little to help me adapt to the eerie stillness that permeated this house.

Mom used to always greet me when I came home. Even if one of us had a particularly rough day, we could always turn it around, either by sharing a funny story or concoct new recipes and make a mess of the kitchen. Her harmonious laugh could always turn bad days to good, even if she was laughing at me. These walls would never hear her laughter again.

The silence reminded me of her final days, when she was hospitalized, but even then Dad was here to make sure I got home safely. Rarely would he go to the hospital without me, which meant he would be _here _waiting. Now, Mom would never come back home and Dad… he would probably spend half the night at the church, just trying to avoid the sheer silence that engulfed me now.

I was on my own.

An abrupt feeling of abandonment overcame me, and it was impossible to ignore.

I threw my bag to the side and slid to the floor, my shoulders shaking with grief. The sobs I held back this day and days before struck me, and I could no longer hold them back. My body folded in on itself, legs coming up to my chest, my head resting in my hands. Tears soon flowed over the brim, blurring my vision. A piece of my heart felt as if someone just ripped it out, leaving a bloody hole in my chest.

'_How long until I no longer feel this way?_ _Please, God, please... Make it stop,' _I silently pleaded.

I could stay that way for no more than a couple minutes before rationality won out over melancholy. There were things I needed to get done. Dinner had to be cooked. Homework must be finished.

So I busied myself with this, keeping my mind solely on the task at hand so I wouldn't fall apart a second time. In midst of my sandwich making and soup stirring, the phone rang, reverberating through the vacant walls… _'Best not to think of that,' _I mentally reprimanded myself.

"Hello?" I asked, balancing the phone between my ear and shoulder so my hands could remain busy on dinner.

"Good you answered," Kate's voice sounded on the other end, "You aren't busy are you? I was going to catch up with you before school ended, but your bus came early. I just wanted to know if you were okay. You looked kind of haunted and its only been two weeks since… well, you know. You looked even more upset after you and Mr. Hottie Fortesque spoke, and I just wanted to make sure I didn't have to go whoop some butt for making my friend cry."

So she did notice after all. And why wouldn't she? Katie was the eyes and ears of the school and always seemed aware of everything going on around her. I only wished she wasn't as observant today. "I'm fine, Kate. Thanks. I just, yeah," I muttered, hoping she'd buy it. I didn't lie often, especially to her of all people, so there really was no reason for her not to.

Too bad she didn't.

"Lara, you never have been a great liar, let alone a good one, so don't try it on "the master". What happened? I mean at first you were kinda shocked, but then you guys started ogling, and after he left - I saw him kiss you by the way! Anyway, after he left, you just seemed gloomy. "

In the back of my mind, I could hear the front door open and close.

"Look. We weren't _ogling_, okay? Something weird happened and I can't explain it, but Dad's home. I'll talk to you at school on Monday, okay? Our usual spot?"

She seemed reluctant, but agreed and gave her goodbyes anyway. Dad arrived in the kitchen shortly after I hung up.

"Katie?" he stated simply, "As if I even had to ask. It's like a tradition you guys have set up." He made an attempt at laughter, but it fell short. I didn't respond.

"Look, Lara, I was thinking. I know we're both still recovering from Mom's passing, but I… I feel silly for asking this… Do you remember those back-to-school camping trips we used to make? The ones at Hammocks Beach? Now, I know you might be a bit old for this kind of thing, but I was wondering-"

"I'd love to," I interrupted, looking up to meet his puffy red eyes. I didn't agree for me; I hadn't been camping in years, but I needed to remind myself that Dad was just as affected by Mom's passing and did not want to stay in this house anymore than I did.

Maybe on our way, we could regain something we'd both lost the night we received that awful phone call.

'_If only life were that easy,' _the voice in my mind whispered as I got back to stirring the thick red soup, reminding me too much of… I sighed. Tomato probably wasn't the best choice, after all.


	6. Curiousity Killed the Vampire

**Chapter 6:**

**Alexander's Point of View:**

That night, when I found that I could not slumber, I started thinking about today, when I first laid eyes on the mysterious girl - Miss Lara Knighton - and when I first spoke to her.

A ghost of a smile curled the edge of my mouth as I recalled the day I had.

_I had arrived to the school before the girl, despite the fact that she had a ten minute head start… but I will admit, I was hardly following the speed limit. By the time I had compelled the secretaries into thinking I had all the documents needed to enroll, it was well into the third hour. Since there was little for me to do but wait for the next hour, I persuaded the elderly receptionist to give me the file of the girl that lived at 1253 Alpine Drive Beaufort, North Carolina._

_The girl's name, it turned out, was Lara Jade Knighton, not Amelie Henriette Dupre. Also, according to her records, this girl was born on the 5__th__ of January to a Mr. Jack and Mrs. Elizabeth Knighton. I scanned the rest of the file rather quickly, having found out the information I needed. This girl who wore the face of Amelie was a look-a-like, not Amelie herself. Amelie could forge documents as well as any other of our kind, but she would never play human to this extent. At this point, I could have made the secretary forget my very presence and go home. That is what I should have done… but I did not._

_Instead, I left for my fourth hour, Calculus, one of the three classes I shared with the girl. I kept telling myself it was because I wanted to see if this girl was Amelie's true doppelganger, but some aggravating voice in the back of my mind told me otherwise._

_As I entered the classroom, all those heartbeats pounded in my ears like a thousand drums, each following their own rhythm._

_She arrived not seconds before the bell rang and sat in front, not even taking notice of me - quite a shock really, considering most other girls in this class were already imagining being infatuated with me. Because of her position, I could not get a good look at anything but her backside and fountain of golden tresses._

_Lara Knighton was very much human, my ears confirmed - so it was the noisy, rusted automobile that stole her beating heart from my ears._

_But the rest of her secrets I could not gather from her mind._

_When I tried reading her mind like I could any human, I hit a mental wall. Never before have I heard of something like this. Humans were prey to vampires because we were ultimately stronger and the weak always feeds the strong. We have several gifts that makes vampires stronger, one of them being the ability to read and manipulate the thoughts of our prey. But this girl's mental shield was impenetrable! How, I could not be certain. Far as I knew, only vampires could block another vampires mental intrusion._

_What little information I did manage to get came from the mind's of the student body around her. She was rather introverted, not in any after school activities or clubs, and hardly speaks to her peers other than her best friend, Katherine Wells. She was daughter of the town's priest, involved in her father's church and the choir. She lost her mother to leukemia just a couple of weeks ago._

_As the day carried on, the mysteries revolving around her seemed to multiply rather than diminish._

_When her eyes fell on me the first time in class, it felt like a wrecking ball of past emotions slammed into my gut. My eyes told my that this Lara Jade was Amelie's carbon copy, but my brain kept telling me that that was impossible. So I scoped her out at lunch, and watched her through the thoughts of others, which was difficult considering everyone around her ignored her. My best viewpoint- other than my own- was Lara's only friend, Katherine, or Katie as she preferred._

_Lara didn't speak but once, but Katie would occasionally glance sympathetically at her friend and from there I could read Lara's body posture._

_The first thing I noticed - Katie as well- was that she was fairly uncomfortable sitting there amongst her peers. She sat in a defensive pose: shoulders hunched slightly forward, eyes cast downward, her lips curving in a small frown. It was probably unintentional, but the posture simply screamed, "I'm invisible. Leave me be."_

_As the half-hour break carried on, Lara did not engage in the rumors floating around the table, but instead played with the food on her tray, not eating a bite. The silence I was receiving from her was maddening. By the time the bell rang, I had ultimately decided to talk to her._

_And as if things couldn't get any weirder, when I gathered up the courage to touch her, all my vampiric cravings -the thirst I have been so edgy about - vanished! Not even the slightest craving for her blood or any around me. Only 280 years of duplicity and deceitfulness kept the utter shock from showing on my face. To cover the slight frown that might have appeared on my face, I raised her hand to my lips and quickly kissed it._

I didn't see her for the rest of the day… at least not in person. I kept an eye on her through the eyes of her peers but had received no more useful information on her that day.

So now, bored and restless, I found myself jumping out of my bedroom window and into her backyard. It hardly mattered due to the fact behind my visit to Beaufort, but I wanted to find out more about this girl.

The house next to mine was diminutive in comparison, so it was not difficult to find her room. Despite the fact that her window was unlocked, I'd gotten about as far as I could without an invitation blinds were down but I could hear the girl's heart beat, slow since she was at rest, and each breath she took. Her mind was still inaccessible to me, which was the most irritating. From her father, who was on the other side of the house, I could read clearly. His dreams involved walking without really going anywhere and stargazing a beach somewhere. But nothing from Lara Jade Knighton. It made me curious as to what she was dreaming about, whether her dreams were lucid or as puzzling as her father's, whether her room was clean or cluttered, what she slept in…

At the last thought, I became aware of my actions. I was stalking this girl next door with no intention of feeding on her. I was simply engrossed by _her_, and not her blood. Which was disturbing and yet at the same time amazing. After my awakening, I could not recall a time when I wasn't the least bit tempted by my thirst… It was this control my thirst had over me that I was in Beaufort in the first place. This was where I was born, this was the place I first fell in love, this was the place I breathed my last… so naturally this was the place where I must rest eternally.

The night carried on and with it my thoughts about everything that had happened and everything that was going to happen. But before I committed the one final act that would end me, I would figure out the puzzle of this girl who slept so soundly now. One could say I was procrastinating, putting off the inevitable, and it was true. This girl would not matter to me after I was gone, but perhaps being near her and solving her mysteries could help me say goodbye to someone I could not before. Someone who died 280 years ago. Someone that looked an awful lot like Miss Lara Jade Knighton.


	7. Life is a Beach

**Lara Jade's Point of View:**

Saturday started early for the Knighton family, as Dad has woken me at dawn to prepare for our last minute getaway from reality. I dressed in my hiking garb and packed for the both of us while Dad got the tent together and other essentials. Food was the last thing packed, the oversized cooler placed into the bed of the pickup before we hit the road. The time was seven o'clock in the morning.

Hammocks Beach was a little over an hour - and several gallons of gas - away from our home, but it was well worth the money and time. At least that's what I thought.

I snuck a peak at Daddy, trying to gage his thoughts on the matter, but his face remained solemn. Maybe he was regretting asking me this. Mom's memory permeated this beach as well as home, after all it was she that started these camping trips…

As an awkward silence descended upon us, I turned to the passenger side window and let my thoughts wander, my vivid imagination swallowing me whole.

Before long, I was a child wrapped in my mom's arms again. She was fingering through my hair as she told me a story.

"_Long ago, there was a man who was deeply in love with a young woman. So in love, in fact, that this man asked her to be with him forever."_

"_Did she say yes and have a big wedding?" young me asked as I played with her wedding ring._

_Mom beamed down at me, her eyes filling with laughter. "Actually, she said no at first, because she wasn't sure if he was her prince charming. One day, the young man decided to prove to her that he was the one, so he took her to a beautiful sandy beach on a magical island. She spent the night with him under the starry sky, and as she listen to the sound of the ocean waves, she realized something."_

"_What, what?" I asked, hopping up and down in her lap._

"_She loved him too. She loved him so much that she never ever wanted to part with him. She said yes to the wedding, but it wasn't at all extravagant like she dreamed it would always be because she found her prince, and he was all she ever needed."_

_A loud snap sounded followed by an irritated huff of jumbled words. My eyes found Dad, who was currently grappling with our new tent. The tent was winning._

"_Oh dear, looks like I have to go save your daddy. Again." Mom removed me from her lap and got up. "Stay put and don't go off into the water, okay honey? You know how much I worry about those undercurrents."_

_It wasn't until she was several feet away that I became brave enough to speak. _

"_Mommy?" I waited until she turned back to me before continuing, "That story is about you and daddy, isn't it?"_

_A look of shock registered across her face before pride and happiness took its place. "Why, yes, my sweet one. How did you know that?"_

"_Because there was no tent in the story, and that's because daddy could never put one together."_

_Her laughter rang clear and strong throughout my mind, even after all this time._

_A ghost of a smile crossed my face but vanished when I realized that those happy days with mom were over. All I had left of her now were memories, and memories were just not enough._

For the first time in my life, I began to question God's plan and the reason He would take my mother from me so soon.

I silently reprimanded myself and asked for forgiveness. I had no right to question Him. If it was Mom's time, who was I to say otherwise? I mean, sure it would have been great having mom watch me graduate or open my own clinic or even… get married…

'_Okay, okay, get your mind off the subject before you start bawling in front of Dad… The last thing either of us need right now is a reason to cry,'_ I thought as I sucked in a deep breath to calm myself.

A great distraction revealed itself just in time. When I looked into the side view mirror, I noticed a black Porsche gleaming in the sunlight behind us. I straightened up, thinking back to the beast in the driveway next door, contemplating Alexander's odd behavior yesterday.

He spoke to me like he would a terrified or sick child, which was a little demeaning. His gaze was compelling, almost like I had no power in myself to look away, and his skin was freezing. And how the heck did he know I had Mrs. Randolph for my last class when it was his first day? Well, okay that last one didn't really matter to me, but still. The weirdest part was the kind of vibes I got from just being near Alexander. I couldn't be completely sure, but there was something about Alexander that just screamed "stay away from him."

The whole situation from yesterday just didn't make sense.

When the convertible raced around the rusted-bucket-of-bolts we call a vehicle, I took notice of the driver and passenger, both of whom resembled nothing like the aloof Mr. Fortesque. This made me slump a little and I couldn't understand why.

**Lara Jade's Point of View:**

**One Hour Later:**

"Dad, are you sure you don't need help with that?" I asked after the tent pole twisted apart for the third time.

"No, no. I'm good," he replied, even though he was far from _good. _The vein in his forehead was starting to show and his face really could not get a deeper shade of red. "Just get the rest of our stuff over to the site, okay?"

"Alright." Knowing not to press further, I surrendered and went to get the overnight bags that were waiting near the ferry dock.

I didn't notice the sunhat floating in the water until after I grabbed the luggage. Odd. The young woman that was wearing the hat before was no where to be seen and I never heard any I-lost-my-hat shouts. Still…

The ocean was cold as it lapped around my ankles and then my knees as I went to retrieve the hat. I was about waist deep in water when I could finally reach the thing and was about to turn back when something suddenly wrapped around my ankle and pulled me under.

A pathetic squeak was the last thing to escape my lips before I was completely submerged.


	8. Submerged

**Chapter 8:**

**Alexander's Point of View:**

The house next door was lively in this early hour of the morn and I knew why. Yesterday, Jack Knighton had phoned the second pastor of Eastside Christian, the church Reverend Knighton worked at, and told him about getting away this weekend with Lara. Without further explanation needed, the back-up pastor agreed to take his place at the pulpit this Sunday.

Since I was already up, I watched them pack for the last minute trip to Hammocks Beach. It seemed a bit odd to me that the pair was traveling so far from home to go camping when Beaufort, North Carolina was a coastal town to begin with and thus surrounded by camping areas and state parks. No matter, the little island was only an hour away and I had every intention of following Miss Lara Jade until this mysterious matter of my vanishing thirst was resolved. They left at around seven o'clock, but I lingered around my home a while longer. No need for them to be conscious of the fact that I was stalking them. During my time of waiting, I paced around my house like a caged animal and planned how I would go about watching on the Knighton family. Most certainly, I would watch from a distance, under the cover of whatever foliage I would find on the island, which probably wouldn't be much. During the hours when the moon was high and they asleep, I'd contemplate how she had the ability to bury my murderous half when I never could.

Though I had not been to a worship center since I turned, I felt it had nothing to do with Lara's beliefs. No, the reason must be somehow tied to her likeliness to Amelie…

Even as I left an hour later, I still pondered these things… I would figure out this mystery, say my goodbyes, and end this eternal hell that was my existence.

**Lara Jade's Point of View:**

I couldn't breathe.

I couldn't think.

I didn't know which way was up and which was down.

The saltwater burned my eyes when I tried to see what had pulled me under. Just because I couldn't see didn't mean I couldn't feel… and what I felt did not make sense. What pulled me under was not a simple undercurrent like my mother had warned me about but a hand! A human hand wrapped around my ankle and dragged me down, and if I could not find my way back to the surface in the next ten seconds I was as good as dead. Kicking at the vice did no good and it used up the energy I needed to get back to the surface. Just as my lungs started to fill with water, I felt the iron grip release me. My attempt at clawing to the surface was pitiful at best. My energy was sapping and I was starting to fall into a deep slumber.

Suddenly, I felt my body propel to the surface by some external force, though by what exactly I couldn't be sure. My mind was past deciphering things. All I wanted was sleep…

That was my last thought before I slipped into oblivion.


	9. Someone's Watching Over Me

**Chapter 9:**

**Alexander's Point of View:**

_I was almost too late…_

While locking my Porche, I heard it. A scream. It was short, as if cut off, and far away, so far I was sure only my ears picked it up. The scream belonged to a young woman and with it came buried memories of the times I had caused those shrieks.

I could feel the monster deep inside me come alive, but I ignored it and jumped off the pier. Swimming would get me to the island faster than a ferry.

About a mile away from the shore of Bear Island was a body of a woman, the screamer, I presumed, was either unconscious or dead. She was foreign to me; therefore it did not matter whether she was alive or dead. Soon, she would wash ashore and someone would run across her corpse. I was about to leave her when I noticed a liquid streaming from her wrist and mixing with the water. I knew what it was… and so did the beast. My throat felt tight and my mouth heavy as my fangs unsheathed. My vision narrowed in until all I saw was her wrist and the blood blending with the murky sea.

Then, there was a ringing in my ears and my monstrous half was no longer in control, almost as if it had slipped into a coma, thus leaving me in charge. I turned away from the body, noticing for the first time a struggle with a person that was very much alive.

Golden hair flowed with the current, making it look like a halo around her face. There was something else there, a shadow that was pulling this second girl down. The water was an opaque wall of brownish-blue, but it did not take long for me to realize who was being dragged into the depths of the ocean.

Beautiful blonde hair, fair skin, sky blue eyes hidden beneath her eyelids.

Lara Jade.

'_NO!'_

I wanted to believe that I cut through the water and to her side, but I suspect it took much, much longer.

Around her foot was a wad of seaweed, but I knew I was not mistaken about the shadowy figure. Quickly, I grabbed her by the collar of her shirt and pulled her to the surface.

Her pulse was faint but it was there.

After dragging her ashore, I was unsure about what to do next. My supernatural strength made it impractical for me to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation as I'd probably just crush her. I could hardly leave her though and hope for the best. No, that was an impossibility. Leaving was not an option.

**Lara Jade's Point of View:**

I was having an out of body experience. I was floating above my body, detached and a million miles away. Then, without warning, I was where I belonged and it hurt.

My throat felt like sandpaper.

It felt like my face had been dipped in acid.

My lungs were on fire, despite the fact that the water I was purging was icy cold.

"_Come on, breathe. Please… breathe,"_ a distant voice called to me.

My brain was too busy doing somersaults to even try to decipher who the voice belonged to, though it sounded familiar.

I hesitantly dragged in ragged breaths between wet coughs.

A large chunk of ice ran across my skin: my wrists, my throat, my legs. I shivered involuntarily, already cold.

"_Sorry," _the voice apologized, as if it was his fault for making me shiver.

Time stretched on for forever as the warm sand took the chill from my body. Knowing I could stay here eternally, knowing my father would eventually come looking for me, I opened my eyes momentarily. I was on my stomach, head resting on my arm, and I vaguely remembered turning over to make it easier to clear my lungs of the water.

"Thank you," I rasped, struggling to get to my knees. My head sloshed a bit when I lifted it, but I was able to open my eyes once again. The world stayed upright and in place.

My eyes searched for the person that I assumed saved me… but no one was there.

Seriously.

Not one person was within view. Yet I was so sure that the voice was real.

Maybe what saved me wasn't human at all. People have been rescued by angels before…

"Thank you," I whispered again, grimacing when a sharp pain sliced down my throat.

**Alexander's Point of View:**

Silently, I watched. I watched from a bush fifty yards away as Lara sluggishly got to her feet and looked around for her savior. I would rather let her think her rescue was a celestial act than unveil the truth. No doubt her beliefs would be shaken if she found out a _vampire _saved her from an untimely death.

So far, this was turning out to be an intriguing weekend, and it had only just begun.


	10. Disarray

**Lara Jade's Point of View**

It took me several minutes to gather my bearings, so long, in fact, that Dad finally decided to come find me. I'm pretty positive he didn't expect to find me lying on the beach in soaked clothes with a tangled mop of hair and bloodshot eyes. That much was clear in his expression as he ran up to me.

"Lara Jade… _What _in God's name _happened_?!" he asked kneeling beside me, his ice blue eyes wide and frantic.

"I'm fine…" I croaked, visibly cringing when the feeling of an emery board rubbed vigorously against my voice box. _OW, _I thought. I'd better stick to non-verbal communication for a while, which was basically nodding and head shaking.

"You most _certainly _are _not fine_, young lady! You look like death warmed over"—Funny, because I felt way, way worse—"Now tell me what happened."

So much for yes-and-no answers.

I tried to clear my throat, but that emery board sensation returned and couldn't help but wince once more. My voice cracked when I spoke and only one word came out semi-clear: "… fell." The lie would hopefully be concealed by my sandpaper rough voice. I was ashamed I couldn't tell him what I felt… but honestly, I could hardly believe it myself! How could I expect my father to believe that someone pulled me under water when it was difficult for even me.

The concern amplified as he measured the look on my face, and he stroked my face with his thumb. _Oh, no. I could see what was coming next by reading it in his eyes, eyes that were so similar to mine._

"Lara, I – I just lost your mother" — he looked away then, his dry eyes filled with nothing but grief — "And I know you're hurting as much as I am, but… Please. Don't take yourself away from me too. Not before the Lord decides its your time."

My eyes burned as they filled with saltwater a second time and I shook my head fervently. How could he even think that I would contemplate suicide? "Accident," I tried to enunciate, though it sounded more like 'Acid end'. I started to hack like some eighty-year old chain smoker and I guess that's when the caretaker part of his brain flipped on. Instead of arguing further —I could see it in his eyes that he wanted to— he helped me to my feet.

"You need to change into some dry clothes and get some water in you. I'll warm up supper over the fire pit."

He had released his hold on my shoulder when all of a sudden my jello-like legs fell out from under me. The worry snapped back onto his face as he caught me. I pulled myself up this time, but had to grab his outstretched arm to keep upright.

It took a few seconds of trembling before my legs decided to stay underneath me.

Nevertheless, Dad helped me drag my carcass back to our campsite.

About three hours later, I was dried, dressed, and munching silently on a bowl of brown rice mixed with some blanched vegetables —Dad figured something bland would be best due to my throat— while watching the sun set.

I skipped the smores and turned in early, tired and weak from the earlier excitement. I was out before my head hit the pillow, but I didn't sleep throughout the night like I'd planned.

When I aroused, it was dark and I could feel someone stretched out in the sleeping bag adjacent to mine. The milky light of the moon shined down on our tent and with it, I could make out the shadows of the spiny scrub-brush… and a person kneeling not too far away…

My breath was stolen from me in fright. I could think of nothing but that hand wrapping around my ankle and pulling me under… that iron vice that held me under for some unfathomable reason.

But then I thought of the few minutes after when I was barley clinging to consciousness. Something had pulled me up… something that spoke to me and then disappeared into thin air.

Slowly, my frozen muscles unclenched.

A few brain cells must have died today because I suddenly found myself unzipping the sleeping bag and creeping towards the entrance while keeping an eye on the shadow, making sure it wouldn't disappear. As I tugged at the zipper, Dad snorted. I jumped and shot him a quick look. He didn't wake, but I continued to watch him as I unfastened the tent flap inch by inch.

The crisp air raised my skin in gooseflesh. Ashes in the pit were moist and dark, an aluminum pail sitting close by. The bristly shrubs shivered in the slight breeze, the ones closest casting eerie shapes on the vinyl of the tent.

Speaking of eerie shapes, nothing "human" resided outside. Though I had been sure of what I saw, now, I just felt foolish. Why on earth would someone be kneeling outside my tent? Then again why would someone pull me out of the water, make sure I was okay, then vanish?

"Hello?" I whispered, my throat still raw and voice scratchy.

Only the wind answered me as it whistled past.

No one was here.

A huff of breath escaped me as I sat down on the small round rock five steps from our campground. Here in the peace and quiet of nature, I tried to contemplate today's peculiar turn of events… and found it impossible.

Nothing seemed to make sense anymore —and I wasn't just talking about today, or yesterday, or even last week. My life was in complete disarray…

I closed my eyes, scrunching them slightly in concentration as I prayed. _'Lord, I'm completely lost. It feels like I've strayed away from you into some kind of black vortex. I need your help to make everything right. Please, guide me. Help me.'_

"Hello there," a voice shattered the silent night, sending shivers up my spine.


End file.
